Of Tree Houses
by brooke-ella1990
Summary: She's got Fitch. What could possibly go wrong? spoilers of s2e2.


**I do not own Baby Daddy. No profit. I'm just having some fun. I have to say that** **if you haven't watched the episode. _SPOILERS ARE AHEAD_..._ FOR REAL!_ seriously, seriously. but if you have (or want to be spoiled. please continue.) I took the scenes from tonight's episode and added some narrative and context to the scenes. What I think was going on in the character's heads during the various scenes. Enjoy! **

* * *

The mood was perfect. Her crazy and overprotective friends had finally left, after Bonnie had killed her phone. That woman was full –strength crazy, but in a good way. Anyway, she was staring into a handsome face, with deep brown eyes and while the moment should have amazing and perfect. It wasn't, there was something wrong. Riley couldn't place the feeling, but it had started after Fitch told his story about his wife dying. They broke eye contact and she said "we should probably go- my place- it's only a couple blocks from here." And she remarked to Fitch that Bonnie had killed the phone, and she thought it was broken beyond repair.

"That's totally fixable." He tells her.

* * *

_Earlier in the day: _

It had been fairly typical; Danny and Melena had been getting serious, seriously hot. And of course his mom walks into the apartment, like she owns it. Bonnie Wheeler has always been like that. They take a picture to send to Melena's mom. She leaves, and his mom mentions something about how it's nice to not see him pining after Riley. While they are talking about how he feels about Riley, they unknowingly send a voicemail to Riley. And of course, Danny's trying in earnest to move on from Riley, but it's hard. He's been in love with her for years, since they were kids.

And his mom accidentally sends it! He can't even think about it. He's horrified, what if she reacts badly? She's fancied his brother for about the same amount of time that he's loved her. And now, that guy Fitch is in the picture. In a series of absurd (and half-baked) plots to get Riley's phone and delete the message, his mom finally ends up dropping it in a glass of water at the restaurant, where he and his mom, Ben, Melena, Tucker and Tucker's boss all crashed the date. It was the very picture of insanity. Riley is pissed, she kicks everybody out of her date, and Danny returns to his apartment with Melena.

* * *

It's been a couple hours, and after sticking her phone into a bowl of rice. Fitch was very helpful in the process. Their dinner had been fragmented, and although the food was crazy expensive, she hadn't cared for it, after Ben's 'intervention' she had been too cross to eat. So she and Fitch are munching on some pita pizzas that they'd whipped together. Afterwards they turned on the TV to watch, and then they were paying considerably less attention to it.

They come up for air, and she begins to have doubts again. "I'm just gonna go check on my phone." She says jumping up from the couch, and of all miracles, it actually works. The little blue voicemail symbol is still in the toolbar. Riley remembers that Danny had tried to call, but just left a voicemail, and then Bonnie had been acting more suspicious than usual. What on earth could that be about...?

Riley listens with increasing astonishment, as Danny and Bonnie are talking, about her. A two minute long message, wherein Danny says that he's been in love with her since she climbed into his tree house. Jesus, she'd been 10 years old. Danny had been 12. Was this real? He'd loved her, even when she'd found herself so unlovable, that she tried eating her feelings. And she had consequently gained a lot of weight, thus reinforcing her notion that she was unlovable. She honestly felt like crying a little bit. She'd thought of Danny with his hands on Melena's shoulders at the restaurant, and noted the implied intimacy of the gesture. It helped that she was so annoyed at Bonnie and Ben though, so she'd been able to push the jealous feeling away and focus on her handsome doctor friend, (especially once Danny and Melena had left).

"Fitch, you know, I'm feeling kind of tired."

Ever the gentleman, Fitch stands up to leave. He kisses her on the cheek. "See you soon."

Immediately, she texts Danny. "Can I swing by?"

"Of course." He replies, almost instantly.

She calls her voicemail and repeats the message, at least twice. "Here, door locked" she leans against the wall and listens to Danny tell his mom, that he's loved her since the tree house. Essentially since they'd become friends.

Once he opens the door, immediately she's overly aware of his presence, seeing him in an entirely new way. Instead of her typical "he's my best friend, I don't notice how he looks" sort of way. Which her somewhat best friend and college roommate Allie, had _always_ scoffed at, but she really hadn't noticed (much.) He is quite something to look at, she's not sure how she ignored it for so long, actually now that he's in front of her. Danny's well over six feet, and a muscular hockey player. He's wearing a grey wife beater, and sweats. Damn, he's good looking.

"Hey, everything ok?" He asks, genuinely concerned.

"Sorry, for coming by so late, do you have a moment to talk?" she asks, they hover for a minute on each side of the doorway.

"Always." (her heart flutters) Danny steps back and allows Riley to sit down.

He asks about Fitch, and remarks that they seem great together. "You think so?" She asks him, hoping he'll trip up a little bit.

"Yeah. Don't you?" He asks, he sounds a little confused.

"I mean, I don't know if he's the one, we don't really have that much in common. It's not like you and me." She has wrapped her arms under her knees, in what feels like an effort to hold herself together.

"Me and you. That's different. We're friends." Danny said to her. After a pause he says "Friends, who can tell each other anything."

"Anything?" She says hopefully.

"Riley…"

"Danny?" Melena… In one of Danny's collared shirts, suddenly, it is patently obvious to her. This is just like high school. When she would over-think basic things and then she'd be disappointed because what she dreamed about was clearly untrue and just a figment of her imagination. Hell, it had happened with Ben, almost daily, until a couple weeks ago.

A long pause, "I should probably get back" he tells her.

"I should go too." She says.

* * *

He was so close to telling her in person. She'd come over late at night. Riley was having mixed feelings about Fitch. Danny could tell, he knew his best friend well. They small talk a little and then she says: "I mean, I don't know if he's the one, we don't really have that much in common. It's not like you and me."

"Me and you. That's different. We're friends." He tells her. Danny knows that if she has feelings for Fitch and she's happy, he can't honestly ruin that for her. He cares about her far too much to upend her life. Even at the expense of his own feelings.

"Friends who can tell each other anything." He says, after a pause.

"Anything" Riley replies, and he swears he can see hope shimmering in her blue eyes, and emanating from her entire body. Well, this is about as good a time as any. He prepares himself.

"Riley…" he begins and then is interrupted. By Melena, his girlfriend, he'd forgotten that she had been in his room. As quickly as the hope appeared, her eyes shutter and a barrier goes up between them. The moment is gone.

"I should probably get back" he tells her, sadly.

"I should go too." He can't say anything in reply. Not without Melena overhearing, and as much as he would like for the truth about his love for Riley to finally be out in the open, this isn't how it should go. It should be romantic, (because Riley deserves the very best) and his girlfriend shouldn't be half naked wearing one of his white button-ups, almost swallowing up her lithe body. Odd, he hadn't been wearing that shirt when they got back. But that was neither here nor there. Because, as much as he wanted the truth out. Melena didn't deserve to find out the truth like this either. He really didn't want to hurt her.

"I'll call you tomorrow" Riley tells him, kissing him on the cheek before she leaves.

"After you get a new phone." He says, and by this, he allows her to retreat, and for now, they get to pretend this never happened.

"Yeah" She replies, and leaves a moment later, closing the door behind her. He turns around to look at Melena. She looks just like she normally does, and she seems completely unfazed by what just happened.

* * *

Riley leans against the door. He'd been so close to something, and then Melena had interrupted. "I should get back." He had said. He had Melena, she had Fitch. The timing wasn't right. Before she goes back to her apartment, she deletes the message.

* * *

I was literally unable to breathe a little bit during the scene. My mind was just like #ISTHISREALLIFE!? (and yes, I actually hashtagged in my thoughts). Well there was the #DannyandRiley in the corner. I literally had to crank this out. Too inspired.

I am wondering where they will go with the storyline now, since they almost revealed. (I think that they aren't getting together anytime soon, since Baby Daddy just got picked up for a 3rd season. Although, it would be nice to be surprised. Anyway! send your opinions about the fic, and what you think will happen with this storyline in the next episode.)


End file.
